Burden of Proof
by stokeslove
Summary: Post Grave Danger. NS friendship romance. For the snickers...


Author's Note: My first FF here, or at least for CSI. Be gentle. Not trying to steal them from CBS, etc. I don't own them, although I'd like to. I would love for George Eads to be my own private cowboy… This is for the Snickers out there (I've enjoyed all of your stories so much that I thought I could _attempt_ one of my own!).

* * *

**Burden of Proof**

He was conscious before his eyelids ever tried to pry themselves apart. Why get your hopes up? He knew what was waiting for him.

A dark and cold grave. Trapped inside a plexiglas coffin which allowed him the terrible pleasure of seeing the dirt surrounding him and realizing he was hidden in a place that served as a killing device all on its own.

Buried alive. It was the kind of thing that you only saw on those "D" quality horror movies in the early hours of the morning, but that still gave you chills at the mere thought.

And now, it was his fate. Uncontrollably, a hot tear slid down the side of his face as he squeezed his eyes shut trying to fight the realization that he was still trapped, that no one knew where he was, and that he would probably die there. Making the tape had been difficult enough. Why get your hopes up?

...But something was different. Refusing to open his eyes and be disappointed, he was betrayed by his nose. The damp, suffocating smell of the Vegas dust in the coffin had been replaced by almost an anti-septic smell. As his mind began to clear, he forced off the feelings of utter desperation and uncontrollable fear that threatened to overwhelm him once again. Something _was _different.

Maybe he died. Maybe he was hallucinating from lack of oxygen. Maybe…maybe it had all been a bad dream. Hope rearing its ugly head again. Hope for something that will never be true.

His eyes fluttered open when he felt the hand on his arm. Shocked, he gasped and felt tears falling uncontrollably down his face. He hadn't been wrong. He was out of that hellhole. He was saved from certain death. He just couldn't remember how.

Trying to focus his eyes and once again clear his head, he began to focus on the voice attached to the arm that was telling him to calm down and that he was safe now. Resting back onto his hospital bed, Nick Stokes finally let out the breath he had been holding since he had first woken up in the grave.

He swiped at his eyes, forcing them to adjust to the light, and found himself face to face with a tearful Sara Sidle.

She looked down at her hand on his arm, and moved her hand lower to grasp his. Looking back up into his eyes, her light smile was betrayed by tears streaming down her face.

"Hey"

"Hey…I'm. I'm just so glad you're awake." Her voice shook. She fought for control over a ragged breath and used her free hand to wipe away the tears on her cheeks.

"…For a minute, I thought…" Nick shut his eyes and quickly opened them again. This could still be a dream. He cleared his throat and tried to will back the impending rush of tears. "I thought I was still stuck down there."

Sara squeezed his hand. "We found you just in time. You'd passed out. At first," she took a deep breath and then continued on staring at their entwined hands, "at first we thought we'd lost you. The medics got you stabilized. You're at Desert Palms." He squeezed her hand back.

There was no fighting the tears. "Thank you, Sara. I .." He couldn't continue. Sara just leaned over and hugged him. She was surprised when he pulled her further into the hug and held on for dear life. She whispered comforting, soothing words into his ear as they held onto each other. After a while, he let her pull back slightly. Their easy and light conversation continued.

Outside of Nick's hospital room, Catherine, Warrick, Brass, Grissom, and Gregg watched the interaction. The euphoria of finding their team member alive had been incredible, but the stress and guilt of the last 12 hours had been crippling. None spoke. All waiting for their turn to see him and tell him what they'd been holding inside since they found him unconscious 4 feet beneath the surface in a plexiglas coffin clutching a tape recorder holding his goodbye to them.

But Sara was the first to go in, because she was the one who found him. Because she was the one who had stayed strong and kept a clear head throughout the entire thing. Because she was the one who was responsible for him being alive in that hospital bed instead of lying in their morgue.

Nick had refused to let go of Sara's hands. She had scooted up closer to him on the bed to continue their quiet conversation. It was just like Nick…to ask how everyone else was holding up.

"I called dibs on getting to see you."

Nick gave a light chuckle. "Oh yeah? Why's that Sidle? You make a bet with Warrick or something?"

Sara gave him a genuine smile for the first time since she'd come into the room. "All I'm saying is finders keepers." She squeezed his hands with both of hers and winked at him. He sombered and tears threatened to spill over his lashes. "Sara… you're the one that found me? .." His eyes begged the question.

"Yes, I did, and we'll talk about the details some other time. Right now I just want to kind of enjoy the fact that I can see you in front of me breathing easily in a comfortable hospital bed."

He smiled the Nick Stokes smile for the first time and shook his head. Looking from their entangled hands to her eyes, "I knew it would be you, Sara." He pulled one of her hands up to his mouth and gently kissed it. She blushed uncontrollably.

"Are you always such a gentleman? I mean, you're the one in the hospital bed."

"Don't remind me." He winked at her.

Turning towards the door, she noticed the crew waiting. "I think that if I don't give them a chance to come in, they'll tear down the door. You ready to see them?" Nick nodded.

Sara's hands lingered in Nick's before finally releasing him completely to go let their friends into the room. She didn't hesitate to return to her previous place on Nick's bed next time, and she took his hands in hers without a second thought.

After an emotional, yet manly, reunion between Warrick and Nick, Gregg attempted some light-hearted humor but ended up giving Nick a crushing hug and telling him in one breath how he was like his big brother and how he was so terrified and how he'd never worked so hard on a case in his life. Finally, Catherine rubbed Gregg's back and gently eased him away from Nick and led him to the bathroom to wash his face. Brass shook Nick's hand saying how glad he was to see him and ended up embracing the CSI before claiming to be paged and running off.

Catherine couldn't get much out. She cried mostly and talked of her fear. She just hugged him and stole his hands from Sara's and told him how much he meant to her and this little family they'd created in their lab.

Grissom surprised them all with an admission that he was terrified that they were going to let Nick down. Grissom spoke his admiration for Nick's dependability, but more so for his work ethic and the fact that he brings everything he is to his job as CSI. Quietly, Grissom told Nick that he was the kind of CSI he wanted to be, but wasn't because he just didn't have the knack for dealing with people. Then, in Grissom fashion, he said luckily Nicky would be back to take care of that for him. Nick quiet laughter masked tears running down his face. As Grissom hugged Nick, he whispered, "you've never disappointed me, Nick. I'm just glad we didn't disappoint you." Grissom and Nick looked at each other in understanding.

After a lengthy visit, they were gone. Sara still sat on Nick's bed. His hands found their way back to hers after Grissom's remarks. They sat in comfortable silence. Nick looked exhausted.

"Maybe I should just let you get some rest."

Nick's eyes flew open and he squeezed her hands tighter as she loosened her grip to let go. "No. ..Sara." She saw the tears well in his eyes. "I don't want to be alone, please…"

"Nicky." She leaned closer to him smoothing his hair with her hand. "I won't go anywhere, I promise. I'm here for as long as you need me to be." With that, she kissed his forehead and looked back to see Nick close his eyes. He scooted to the other side of the small hospital bed and allowed her to climb up into the bed next to him. Rejoining their hands, Nick settled in against Sara. Sara let out the breath she'd been holding since they'd taken the lid off of the grave. She hadn't been sure then, but now she could feel his heart beating against her. They drifted off to sleep together holding on to the proof that their nightmare was over.

* * *

Read and Review please! If it's something you think should go on, let me know…I'm not sure what to do with it! 

Thanks!


End file.
